Bangalore: Karnataka on Wednesday avoided the dubious distinction of delivering a fractured mandate for the third time in a row by giving clear victory for Congress and remained true to its reputation as a graveyard of regional outfits.

Two regional parties were founded by two former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in just over a year with the aim of ousting the "corrupt" national parties from the state.

The Congress won 121 seats, while the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) were tied at second place with 40 seats each. The parties formed by former BJP chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and former BJP minister B Sriramulu failed to reach double digit.

While Yeddyurappa at least had the satisfaction of realizing his dream of defeating the BJP, Sriramulu had the mortification of seeing the only glamour quotient in his party. Kannada actress Pooja Gandhi lost Raichur seat in north Karnataka, supposedly Sriramulu stronghold.

Yeddyurappa retained his home seat of Shikaripura in Shimoga district but suffered a massive defeat personally when his staunch loyalist and only woman minister in BJP government, Shobha Karandlaje was relegated to third place in Rajajinagar in Bangalore.

The BSR Congress of Sriramulu, a loyalist of jailed mining baron G Janardhana Reddy managed to win two seats out of the large number of seats it contested.

Polling was held only for 223 seats as in one constituency it has been put off to this month-end following the death of the BJP candidate.